Who We Are

CID is in the process of transforming from a military command into an independent civilian-led federal law enforcement organization - enabling the Department of the Army’s mission, and supporting active duty, Reserve, Guard and Civilian workforce and their families.

During this transformation, CID strategic lines of effort include four main points – Operational Excellence, Talent Management, Modernization and Partnerships. Our efforts are focused on how to increase investigative support functions and investigative capability and capacity, increase collaborative efforts with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, meet our wartime requirements and maintain investigative independence.

As the U.S. Army's primary criminal investigative organization and the DoD's premier investigative organization, CID is responsible for conducting felony-level criminal investigations in which the Army is, or may be, a party of interest.

CID is an independent Federal Law Enforcement Agency that employs military and Civilian, credentialed federal Special Agents. CID directly supports the Army world-wide, through its protective services for High-Risk Personnel; as well as its expeditionary capability to support wartime requirements. Additionally, the agency is led by a civilian Director who is a law enforcement professional who reports directly to the Secretary of the Army via the Under Secretary of the Army.

Headquartered at Quantico, Virginia and operating throughout the world, CID Special Agents conduct criminal investigations that range from death to fraud, on and off military reservations and when appropriate, with local, state and other federal investigative agencies.

CID supports the Army through the deployment, in peace and war, of highly trained Special Agents and support personnel, the operation of a certified forensic laboratory, a protective services unit, computer crimes specialists, polygraph services, criminal intelligence collection and analysis and a variety of other services normally associated with law enforcement activities.

What We Do

CID investigates and provides intelligence while working to proactively prevent crimes which impact the operational readiness of the Army, by investigating felony crimes of serious, sensitive, or special interest matters to support commanders and preserve the Army’s resources in peacetime, combat, and contingency operations.

CID also conducts worldwide investigations of classified Army programs and sensitive activities; acquisition fraud affecting Army programs and systems, major construction, and Soldier safety; intrusions, related malicious activities, and insider threats involving U.S. Army computers; and terrorism activities.

Primary Mission Requirements:
- Investigate serious crime
- Conduct sensitive/serious investigations
- Collect, analyze and disseminate criminal intelligence
- Conduct protective service operations
- Provide forensic laboratory support
- Maintain Army criminal records

Additional Mission Requirements:
- Logistics security (From the manufacturer to the soldier on the battlefield)
- Criminal intelligence (Develop countermeasures to combat subversive activities on the battlefield)
- Criminal investigations (Expanded to include war crimes and in some cases crimes against coalition forces and host nation personnel)
- Protective service operations (Protects key personnel on and off the battlefield)